Here It Is: Best of Boise 2018

We had an unprecedented number of nominations and votes this year, and for all of that, our first big thank-you is to you. You make this happen.

There has been plenty of conversation (and some uncivilized debate) about the growth of Boise. Forbes magazine reminds us that Boise anchors the fastest-growing area in the U.S., and the U.S. Census confirmed as much when it announced that according to 2017 data, Idaho is the fastest-growing state in the nation and the Treasure Valley accounts for more than half of that explosion.

We'll continue to take a deep dive into the ongoing dialogue over "smart growth," but at least give us a week to step back and say, like a proud parent, "My, my, look at how grown up you are." True, the City of Boise has had a few rough patches—let's consider those our middle school years. But we particularly love it when our readers remind us that it's possible to embrace the past, celebrate the present and look to the future with great anticipation, all at once. In fact, that's the theme of this year's Best of Boise.

We had an unprecedented number of nominations and votes this year, and for all of that, our first big thank-you is to you. You make this happen. Yes, each category includes a top vote-getter, but there were tens of thousands of Best of Boise voters who wanted to ensure the runners-up got recognition, too.

This year's Best of Boise is also coming a bit sooner than in years past. We thought late spring/early summer was an ideal time for our Big Le Boise street party, which this year will be Saturday, June 2 (attendance is mandatory). Plus, we thought, what better way to celebrate than for our Best to Boise issue to hit the streets the same week?